Abdominal adipose tissue synthesizes and secretes several mediators and cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF α), intracellular carriers of glucose (GLUTs), gamma receptors activated by peroxisome proliferator (PPARγ) and resistin, that participate in mechanisms that lead to dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hypertension and atherosclerosis. Here, TNF is linked to metabolic syndrome.